This PowerPoint presentation summarizes Roman art and architecture from 500 BCE to 400 CE and its influence today. It explores Roman mosaics, paintings, portraits, coins, glassware, buildings like the Pantheon and baths, as well as the Colosseum. The presentation notes how classical architecture using Greek and Roman styles continues to influence structures today, citing examples like the Lincoln Memorial and Jefferson Memorial that incorporate classical columns and domes.

1. Classical Connections:
From Roman Ar t and
Architectur e to Today
This PowerPoint presentation accompanies
Closeup Teaching Unit (4.5.1)
Roman Art and Architecture
500 BCE – 400 CE
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2. Art can be a lot of fun, and it
can also help us learn about
people from ancient times.
My name is Mundo! Join me as
I learn about Roman art and
architecture and how it has
influenced the world today.
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3. Roman Mosaics
• A mosaic is a
picture or
design made
of small
pieces of
colored stone,
glass, or brick.
What god
do you
think is
pictured in
this
mosaic?
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4. Roman Mosaic of
Alexander the Great
This mosaic
was found in
a Roman
home in
Pompeii.
But why would
the Romans
want a mosaic
of Alexander
the Great?
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5. • Mosaic pieces
can be made of
almost any
material.
• Today, people
make home
decorations, like
mirrors and patio
furniture, into
mosaics.
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6. Roman Mummy Painting
• The Romans took
the ideas of
mummies from the
Egyptians but gave
them realistic
faces.
• Mummy paintings
are an example of
Wow, that Roman panel
painting looks
like a real
painting.
person!
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7. Egyptian Mummy Painting
• The Egyptians
made stylized
(not realistic)
face paintings on
their mummy
masks.
Hey, that’s
not my
mummy!
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8. Roman Realistic Portraits
• The Romans made
heads of famous
people called
busts.
• These portraits
showed people’s
life-like features.
Wasn’t he
Rome’s
first
emperor?
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9. Other Realistic Portraits
• Portraits have been
painted of leaders
throughout history
to show their
authority.
Wasn’t he
America’s
first
president?
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10. Roman Coinage
• Emperors
had their
faces put on
coins of gold,
silver, or
bronze.
• Coins could
serve as a
form of
propaganda.
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11. • We still put the
faces of
important
leaders from
history on US
coins today.
What other
famous
people are
on coins?
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12. Roman Cameos
• A cameo is a relief
of alternating
layers of stone.
• Cameos might
show a person or a
god or goddess.
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13. • People still wear
cameos on rings
and necklaces.
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14. Roman Glassware
• The Romans
were famous for
making glass.
• Glass can be
made into many
different types of
objects.
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15. • Glass is used today to make many objects,
such as drinking glasses, vases,
containers, light bulbs, and so on.
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16. The Pantheon
• The Pantheon
was a temple to
worship all the
gods.
• The outside of
the Pantheon
had two major
parts: the
portico and the
dome.
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17. The Pantheon
• The inside had a
hole or “eye” in
the ceiling, called
an occulus.
• The occulus let
light in day and
night.
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18. The Pantheon’s
Architectural Influence
• Thomas
Jefferson’s home
at Monticello in
Virginia was
influenced by the
architecture of
the Pantheon.
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19. Roman Baths
• The bath was
not just a
place to get
clean but also
an important
place of
recreation.
• Baths were
beautifully
decorated.
Why is this
Roman bath all
the way up in
England?
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20. The Influence of Baths
• Today, people go
to public
swimming pools
to relax or to
have
competitions.
• People still use
hot tubs or
saunas today
much like the
Romans used
baths.
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21. The Colosseum
• The Colosseum
was built for
entertainment,
such as
gladiatorial
fights and
mock naval
battles.
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22. The Influence of the
Colosseum
• We still have
grand public
arenas where
people can
watch sporting
events and
concerts.
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23. • “Classical”
refers to any
art or
architecture
modeled after
ancient
Roman or
Greek styles.
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24. Classical Architecture
Today
• The Lincoln
Memorial in
Washington,
D.C., makes use
of classical
architecture.
Are those
Doric, Ionic,
or Corinthian
columns?
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25. • The Jefferson
Memorial
makes use of a
dome and
classical
columns.
What
Roman
temple does
this remind
you of?
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26. What other examples of
classical art and
architecture can you
think of that you have
seen?
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